The gerund

This looks exactly the same as a present participle, and for this reason it is now common to call both forms 'the -ing form'. However it is useful to understand the difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb), so it can be used:

a. as the subject of the sentence:

Eating people is wrong.

Hunting tigers is dangerous.

Flying makes me nervous.

b. as the complement of the verb 'to be':

One of his duties is attending meetings.

The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.

One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.

c. after prepositions. The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition:

Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

She is good at painting.

They're keen on windsurfing.

She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.

We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.

My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.

This is also true of certain expressions ending in a preposition, e.g. in spite of, there's no point in..:

There's no point in waiting.

In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.

d. after a number of 'phrasal verbs' which are composed of a verb + preposition/adverb

Example:

to look forward to, to give up, to be for/against, to take to, to put off, to keep on:

I look forward to hearing from you soon. (at the end of a letter)

When are you going to give up smoking?

She always puts off going to the dentist.

He kept on asking for money.

NOTE: There are some phrasal verbs and other expressions that include the word 'to' as a preposition, not as part of a to-infinitive: - to look forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to be used to. It is important to recognise that 'to' is a preposition in these cases, as it must be followed by a gerund:

We are looking forward to seeing you.

I am used to waiting for buses.

She didn't really take to studying English.

It is possible to check whether 'to� is a preposition or part of a to-infinitive: if you can put a noun or the pronoun 'it' after it, then it is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund:

I am accustomed to it (the cold).

I am accustomed to being cold.

e. in compound nouns

Example:

a driving lesson, a swimming pool, bird-watching, train-spotting

It is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a continuous verb.

Example:

the pool is not swimming, it is a pool for swimming in.

f. after the expressions:

can't help, can't stand, it's no use/good, and the adjective worth:

She couldn't help falling in love with him.

I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.

It's no use/good trying to escape.

It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.

В англійській мові існує така частина мови, якої немає в українській. Це — герундій (The Gerund). Він має властивості іменника та дієслова.

Форми герундія Active Passive

Simple preparing being prepared

Perfect having prepared having been prepared

Simple Gerund Active та Passive означає дію, яка відбувається одночасно з дією, вираженою у реченні дієсловом-присудком в теперішньому, минулому або майбутньому часі:

My friend dreamed of becoming a doctor. (Мій друг мріяв стати лікарем.)

Perfect Gerund Active та Passive означає дію, яка передує дії, вираженій у реченні дієсловом-присудком:

I remember having been congratulated by my friends. (Я пам’ятаю, як мене привітали мої друзі.)

Герундій разом з іменником чи присвійним займенником, які стоять перед ним та означають носія дії, утворюють герундіальний зворот, який передає самостійну думку: I remember my friends having congratulated methen. (Я пам’ятаю, що мої друзі привітали мене тоді.)

Конструкція to be worth + Gerund перекладається українською, як «варто щось зробити»: The book is/isn’t worth reading. (Книжку варто/не варто читати.)

All the auxiliary verbs except be, do and have are called modals. Unlike otherauxiliary verbs modals only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence.

Be, do, and have also differ from the other auxiliaries in that they can also serve as ordinary verbs in a given sentence.

The modal verbs are:-

Modal	Example	Uses
Can	They can control their own budgets. We can’t fix it. Can I smoke here? Can you help me?	Ability / Possibility Inability / Impossibility Asking for permission Request
Could	Could I borrow your dictionary? Could you say it again more slowly? We could try to fix it ourselves. I think we could have another Gulf War. He gave up his old job so he could work for us.	Asking for permission. Request Suggestion Future possibility Ability in the past
May	May I have another cup of coffee? China may become a major economic power.	Asking for permission Future possibility
Might	We'd better phone tomorrow, they might be eating their dinner now. They might give us a 10% discount.	Present possibility Future possibility
Must	We must say good-bye now. They mustn’t disrupt the work more than necessary.	Necessity / Obligation Prohibition
Ought to	We ought to employ a professional writer.	Saying what’s right or correct
Shall (More common in the UK than the US)	Shall I help you with your luggage? Shall we say 2.30 then? Shall I do that or will you?	Offer Suggestion Asking what to do
Should	We should sort out this problem at once. I think we should check everything again. Profits should increase next year.	Saying what’s right or correct Recommending action Uncertain prediction
Will	I can’t see any taxis so I’ll walk. I'll do that for you if you like. I’ll get back to you first thing on Monday. Profits will increase next year.	Instant decisions Offer Promise Certain prediction
Would	Would you mind if I brought a colleague with me? Would you pass the salt please? Would you mind waiting a moment? "Would three o`clock suit you?" - "That’d be fine." Would you like to play golf this Friday? "Would you prefer tea or coffee?" - "I’d like tea please."	Asking for permission Request Request Making arrangements Invitation Preferences

!Note The modal auxiliary verbs are always followed by the base form.

The verb used to, which is explained here, can also be used like a modal verb.